Couple's continued absence signals shift in royal protocol ahead of 2025 celebrations
As the 2025 Trooping the Colour approaches, royal experts suggest that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's absence from the event for yet another year reflects a deliberate message from the Royal Family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex last joined the monarch’s official birthday celebrations in 2019, appearing on the Buckingham Palace balcony shortly after the birth of their son, Archie. Since then, their absence has become increasingly notable.
When the event returned in 2022 after the pandemic pause, Harry and Meghan were not part of the traditional balcony gathering. By 2023, Harry publicly revealed that, for the first time in his life, he was not invited to Trooping the Colour at all—highlighting the shift in royal protocol, where only senior working royals were included.
Royal commentator Richard Eden noted that the decision to exclude the couple carries weight. “When Harry and Meghan quit royal duties, officials were keen to stress they would still be invited to occasions such as Trooping the Colour,” he said. “So the fact they have not been invited is very significant.”
As the festivities draw near, many royal watchers expect the Sussexes to remain absent once more, underscoring the growing distance between them and the core of the monarchy.
